This invention relates to a training apparatus and method for developing proper shooting technique in basketball players In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for training a basketball player to use one hand to shoot a basketball.
Development of proper shooting technique is important for success in playing the game of basketball. Proper shooting technique involves adopting such practices as facing the basket with both feet and shoulders the same distance from the basket, slightly bending the knees and keeping the elbows in.
A variety of training aids for developing proper shooting technique are in the background art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,217 discloses a device consisting of an arm band and a finger interconnected by a tension member that cocks the wrist of a basketball player prior to executing a shot and re-cocks it after the shot is taken. U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,342 discloses a device consisting of a loop situated around the thumb of the guide hand of a basketball player that is slidably connected to a harness fitted around the torso and over the shoulder of the player.
No devices or methods in the background art effectively and safely address a serious problem in shooting technique that is often adopted in error by beginning basketball players (particularly those less than 12 years of age): shooting with both hands. Shooting (propelling) a basketball toward a basket with both hands can impose a "bad" or sideways spin on the ball that keeps the ball from going where it was aimed. Attempts to correct this error by talking to the player are often not successful. While the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,342 was intended to address the problem, using it could result in injury to the player wearing it if the disclosed device were intentionally or unintentionally snagged or grabbed by another player. Such an approach also has the limitation of interfering with the natural operation and feel of the guide hand.